Niagara Falls is not only the honeymoon capital of the world but also a very popular fun capital for young and old alike.

And contributing in a large way to the fun events is HOCO Fun By the Falls, a company that owns and operates a number of rides and venues in Clifton Hill. Among them is the hugely popular Niagara SkyWheel, Zombie Attack, Wild West Coaster, Movieland Wax Museum, Ghost Blasters Dark Ride, Dinosaur Adventure Golf and Wizard’s Golf as well as a go-cart track.

Thanks to Cu Ha of the company’s marketing department for allowing the grandson and his buddies to experience all of the venues last weekend.

Niagara Falls is a four-season destination and another major draw is the huge and fancy casino.

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The Retro Suites Hotel in downtown Chatham has been awarded TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Award 2019. The elite honour gives the hotel top honours in the Best Hotels section for all of Canada and is only presented to the top one per cent of all hotels on TripAdvisor. The distinction is based on reviews and opinions from millions of travellers.

The popular Chatham hotel offers plenty of complimentary amenities with the price of a room.

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A $1.5-million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation makes a great birthday gift for Detroit’s Motown Museum, which turns 60 this year. The grant will underwrite cultural programming aimed at Detroiters and the public of all ages as the Hitsville museum continues to pursue its $50-million expansion plans.

Announced in 2016, the planned expansion will turn the tiny museum into a 50,000-square-foot entertainment and tourist destination.

Officials at the Battle Creek foundation say Detroit is a key place for its philanthropic efforts designed to support children, working families and equitable communities. Money has been rolling in for the planned construction which will include interactive exhibits, performance and recording spaces and expanded retail and meeting spaces.

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Another reminder of the seventh annual Shrewsbury Maple Syrup Festival on March 23 and tours of Sinclair maple bush.

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The award-winning movie Bohemian Rhapsody will be shown at Movie Night on April 24 at the Chatham Capitol Theatre in downtown Chatham. The cost is $5 at the door.

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Poutine lovers take note! A Sarnia Poutine Feast is slated for May 30 to June 2 in Centennial Park and organizers are promising a bigger and better event than last year. There will be many amazing poutines to try, games for the whole family, tasty treats and great music. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options will be available. Admission will be free and there will be a poutine contest on June 2.

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According to a recent study there’s still some confusion among Canadians when it comes to travel health insurance. The study by the Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada shows 13 per cent of Canadians aren’t sure if they have travel insurance before they go on vacation and, of those who have bought insurance, 17 per cent don’t know what their policy covers.

A broken leg in California could cost between $35,000 and $50,000 in hospital and your provincial medical plan might cover about five per cent. Travel insurance would pick up the rest of the tab. Most importantly Canadians need to find out what kind of coverage they have.

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Detroit is the unhappiest city in America, according to WalletHub, which determined its findings through examining each city based on key indicators of happiness, ranging from depression rate to income growth rate to average leisure time spent per day.

Detroit had a low adequate sleep rate as well as the highest separation and divorce rate.

Grand Rapids was number 62 on the list.

The happiest city in the United States? Plano, Texas.

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Several events in Chatham-Kent and Sarnia-Lambton are being planned for this year. Here’s a brief list:

The annual Port Lambton Gala Days event is planned for Aug. 2-4. Gala Days is an event for the entire family and features men and women’s slo-pitch, co-ed volleyball, kids activities, parade. beer garden and bands. Proceeds support the Port Lambton Athletic Association.

The Florence Truck and Tractor Pull will take place July 5 at the Florence Community Centre. The event is sponsored by the Bothwell Optimist Club.

Rodeo fans mark June 14-16 on your calendar. Those are the dates for the Alvinston Pro Rodeo event. The three-day event is taking place on the Father’s Day weekend at the fairgrounds in Brooke-Alvinston.

The award-winning movie Bohemian Rhapsody will be shown at Movie Night on April 24 at the Chatham Capitol Theatre in downtown Chatham. The cost is $5 at the door.

The public is invited March 23 for the annual CK Animal Rescue Spring Paw event. Vendors will be donating prizes for raffles. The event is taking place at the KBD Hall on Byng Ave. in Chatham.

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Kids can sail free with Celebrity Cruises for bookings now through April 3 for sailings April 1 through Dec. 31.

Plus, passengers sailing with adult children or friends can take advantage of a 50 per cent off savings offer for the cruise fare for guests who are 18 or older.

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Europe remains the most visited region in the world, according to the European Travel Commission and Canada was a strong contributor with three-quarters of the ETC destinations seeing an uptick from this market in 2018. Mediterranean countries recorded the highest growth rates from Canada and cruise travel was partly to thank for the strong results. Greece and Cyprus saw significant increasers from the Canadian market.

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Cuba’s rapidly aging population, the oldest in the Americas, is presenting challenges. By 2025, some 30 per cent of the population is expected to be 60 and older.

The average life expectancy for a Cuban man is 76.8 years and 81.3 years for a woman. A combination of factors such as long life expectancy, low birth and fertility rates and social factors such as out-migration among younger Cubans means the island’s population is shrinking while the percentage of elderly is growing.

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Speaking of Cuba, President Donald Trump is allowing Americans to sue companies in Cuba for confiscated property. The White House will allow Americans to file suit in U.S. courts against about 200 Cuban companies that now control property on the island that was seized by the Havana government 60 years ago.

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Canadian citizens travelling on a Canadian passport do not require a visa to enter Cuba for tourism purposes for a period not exceeding 30 days but do require a visa to enter the island for business purposes and business visas must be pre-approved in Havana.

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When and if the Sombra ferry will resume passenger and vehicle service between Sombra and Marine City, Mich. continues to remain a mystery. But there is little doubt the lack of service is having a major impact on the economy in both communities.

A huge number of Chatham-Kent and Sarnia-Lambton residents made the ferry crossing weekly to take advantage of the duty free booze shop on the Marine City-side of the St. Clair River or to dine at a number of restaurants on the main street including a very popular pizza eatery.

And thick ice conditions have ground the Walpole Island ferry to a halt for much of this winter meaning the only way to cross into Michigan is by bridge or tunnel at Windsor or by bridge at Sarnia.

There was a push several years ago to build a bridge across the river in the Port Lambton area but the cost today would be huge.

Incidentally, the Walpole ferry resumed service this week.

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Readers are invited to submit their questions or suggestions on travel close to home or far away to Travel Writer Bob Boughner at bobgboughner@gmail.com.